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Mon May 24, 2021 7:07 pm

OK, I see the other two legs now. Still worried about the moment connections at the ells, either 45 or 90. Make sure they are rock solid. Would feel happier with 45s everywhere. Less tendency to roll.

Mon May 24, 2021 7:22 pm

DuncanS wrote: OK, I see the other two legs now. Still worried about the moment connections at the ells, either 45 or 90. Make sure they are rock solid. Would feel happier with 45s everywhere. Less tendency to roll.

Could you elaborate on this a little more, want to make sure I understand this. The unit does not seem tippy, unless someone knocked into it pretty hard. There are stake holes in the feet for securing the stove base and there are guy line loops at the spark arrestor to basically triangulate the vent pipes securely. Is there anything else you would suggest?

Tue May 25, 2021 5:33 am

Look at it this way. Imagine a sailboat mast where the bottom is secured and it takes a whole lot of angled bends on the way to the top where is is secured way off to one side of the boat. The more you tighten the upper guys to stabilize it, the greater the pressure on the joints to collapse the mast. A single compression member secured at the top and bottom is considered out of column if it is not straight. This is what you have, an out of column compression member whose top guys are trying to fold it up and collapse it. The right angle stove pipe L is the weakest of all. Given the nature of a hot stove pipe and what would happen if a strong wind or bear brings it down. Even tripping over one of the guy lines might collapse it. I would make sure those bends are really, really strong. Welded 45's where the pipe slips in would be the strongest. Maybe that's what you have.

One thing you could do to help would be to have a socket welded on the outside bend so a strut could be inserted and go directly to the ground in line with the upper pipe. Now this portion is in column and would be far more secure.

Just make sure a weak link doesn't ruin a weekend and an expensive tent..... or worse.

Duncan

Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:08 am

My answer for old Velcro.

Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:48 pm

I just finished a two week camp and deployed the awning with the 3-wall tent. Interestingly, the tent section stayed about 10 degrees cooler than the outside temp, and a few degrees cooler than the inside of the van. Using the tent really expands the living area and is good protection for my camera & video gear. I also have the screen room, but for this trip I wanted the extra rain protection that the tent offers. The 14mm wide angle lens I just got makes the tent look cavernous! It's also nice to be able to move the fridge into the tent, safe from the elements and making more room inside the van.

I also put up the Bus Depot Rear Tent Room, which I'm really enjoying. I was in a fairly crowded area and it was nice to have that tent to put my porta-potty and shower system in, shielding me from the neighbors.
One other thing I experimented with was using a 9x12 tarp to make an ad hoc awning on the driver's side using neodymium magnets, my hiking poles and a couple of guy lines. It worked out better than I thought it would. This is a good way for additional shielding from the sun on that side of the van, and makes a great shelter for my gas generator and other stuff when it's raining.

One night got very windy, but the springs I now use on my guy lines did their job and there was no damage at all. I swear by those springs now and can rest easy when the wind picks up. https://amzn.to/3iVM0rf

I'm heading back out for another two weeks and will get to try out the TwinTrak things I got from Camping World (slow and expensive shop) so I can try using the front wall of the 3-wall tent in combination with the screen room for some wind and rain protection. Hopefully the plastic inserts will hold up. I'll report back after this trip on how it worked.

Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:27 am

ok folks,
I have read all 32 pages on this thread and still need help.

I have a new ARB awning for my 87 Westy and purchased Go Westy brackets.
I have watched the go westy video (out of date actually for these brackets) and I cannot figure out how the brackets fit together.

Does anyone have pictures?

Also, I really, really, really do not want to drill into my van. Given that the previous go westy brackets (the black ones) did not make you do so, I am thinking I skip the drilling.

Would appreciate any insights.
Thanks much.

Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:20 am

While I don't have pictures, they're really not that hard to figure out by looking up pictures in the internet. My ARB has been on my van for 6 years and I didn't drill the feet.

Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:22 am

Corwyn wrote: While I don't have pictures, they're really not that hard to figure out by looking up pictures in the internet. My ARB has been on my van for 6 years and I didn't drill the feet.

I have been looking. I do not see any that illustrate how they fit together.
The instructions suck.

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:58 am

Look familiar?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yescom-6-6x8-2-7-6-x8-2.../334508338

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:10 am

Corwyn wrote: Look familiar?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yescom-6-6x8-2-7-6-x8-2.../334508338

Looks like a piece of crap.
Still not a photo of how the brackets fit together.

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:22 am

CherryPi wrote: I have been looking. I do not see any that illustrate how they fit together.
The instructions suck.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:30 am

CherryPi wrote: Corwyn wrote: Look familiar?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yescom-6-6x8-2-7-6-x8-2.../334508338
Looks like a piece of crap...
"Material: steel" . . . Yeah, right . . . :lol: :roll:

Ya, that's the awning I picked up 3 years ago although I got the 8'x8' for $50 less at the time (I'm cheap!)
I don't use it a lot & I'm not very hard on my equipment. It has held up well, although I did need to
replace a couple rivets just like some ARB owners have mentioned in this thread...Sodo, IIRC...???

FWIW, the ARB replacement legs/arms fit perfectly and I keep spares on hand...very affordable at about
$11 each, I may end up with an ARB awning eventually! :wink: ...either way, it's cooler in the shade... 8)

- Dave

Sat Jun 26, 2021 3:41 am

Another member discovered this ARB "like" 8x8 awning for $99 from NAPA, I don't know how long this item will be available.
I ordered one.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=756151

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_MTSA2525?impressionRank=1&keywordInput=mtsa2525

Dave

Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:34 am

dhaavers wrote: ....although I did need to
replace a couple rivets just like some ARB owners have mentioned in this thread...Sodo, IIRC...???

I'm pretty sure that lateral tension from the guy-lines yanking on the awning ends, is what breaks the end rivets.
Every time the wind gusts, and every time you jump in/out of the van the movement yanks on the awning end rivets.
Since then I've tried to have my guy-lines almost vertical, so they can't yank laterally on the awning.
And I quadrupled the end rivets.
More info HERE: ARB Awning Warning

OK so now I'm seeing the interior rivets breaking too.👀
Likely because I use my awning like a jungle-gym as I root around in the rocketbox, supporting myself with one hand holding the awning.
This is some fairly significant 'yanking'.
Which ain't gonna end soon.

So I doubled the interior rivets too.

Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:16 pm

I just finished another 2 weeks in the forest and got to play with the awning configurations a bit. I had ordered the "RV TwinTrack" gizmo that slides into the existing front track on the ARB and provides two tracks. This enabled me to deploy both the screen room and the front wall of my 3-wall tent as a wind/rain break. I had been curious if this might serve the same purpose of the actual ARB Wind Screens. I think it pretty much does the same thing, so I guess I won't be buying the Wind Break. Or am I missing something?

I will say that the RV TwinTrack is a bit difficult to work with. Maybe it's an ARB thing, but sliding on the attachments using the track is not nearly as smooth as the existing ARB track. The fabric catches on the ends, making it a tough one man job, however two people should have no problem with one feeding it in one side, while the other pulls from the other. I think I'll try to file down the openings a little to see if that helps. Since they come in 3' sections, that adds another layer of difficulty, but again, doable. Otherwise, a success.

RV Twin Track - Come with six 3' sections
It's sort of a square peg in a round hole situation, but it works.

This windbreak has a window!

By the way, this dispersed camping site was one of the best I've ever had. I've camped in this area for years, but didn't know about this site until I was looking at the area on Google Earth and found it from space! Lots of room and stellar views.
Now, off to find another great site for two weeks.

Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:40 am

Corwyn wrote: My answer for old Velcro.

My velco straps also stopped working. I tried snaps but i like this idea much better. What size bungee ball cords are those 4" ?

Thanks

Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:40 am

Vanlife Geek wrote: I just finished another 2 weeks in the forest and got to play with the awning configurations a bit. I had ordered the "RV TwinTrack" gizmo that slides into the existing front track on the ARB and provides two tracks. This enabled me to deploy both the screen room and the front wall of my 3-wall tent as a wind/rain break. I had been curious if this might serve the same purpose of the actual ARB Wind Screens. I think it pretty much does the same thing, so I guess I won't be buying the Wind Break. Or am I missing something?

I will say that the RV TwinTrack is a bit difficult to work with. Maybe it's an ARB thing, but sliding on the attachments using the track is not nearly as smooth as the existing ARB track. The fabric catches on the ends, making it a tough one man job, however two people should have no problem with one feeding it in one side, while the other pulls from the other. I think I'll try to file down the openings a little to see if that helps. Since they come in 3' sections, that adds another layer of difficulty, but again, doable. Otherwise, a success.

RV Twin Track - Come with six 3' sections
It's sort of a square peg in a round hole situation, but it works.

This windbreak has a window!

By the way, this dispersed camping site was one of the best I've ever had. I've camped in this area for years, but didn't know about this site until I was looking at the area on Google Earth and found it from space! Lots of room and stellar views.
Now, off to find another great site for two weeks.

Nice work! Keep the updates coming!

Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:05 am

candyman wrote:
Nice work! Keep the updates coming!
Thanks, will do.

Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:46 am

I know this video can be found elsewhere on the Samba, but I thought some of the ARB Awning folks might enjoy seeing my setup from the air. This video is all from my drone (DJI Mavic Mini) and has many shots of the awning setup, among some scenery and dog footage. I also fly the drone into the tent to take a quick look around. The video features the 3-wall tent at my first camp and the screen room, with the front wall of the tent attached to the screen room at the other two camps. And of course, the rear Add a Room and my goofy tarp setup on the driver's side. The aerial views really help illustrate how much extra living space the awnings can provide.

Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:26 am

We've done about 30 days with our ARB this year and love it. No big complaints other than as hard as we try, it feels damned near impossible to roll it up evenly. I also cringe a bit when I see the plastic hinges flex when the swing-out arms are hanging during setup.

This weekend, however, we did a couple days at a lake with a huge wasp issue. Knowing it might be an issue, we brought along the clip-in tent and it was so amazing. The wasps were the worst we've ever experienced and without the tent, the whole trip woulda been a wash.

Overall, the tent seems pretty versatile and I'm looking forward to giving it some more play. By the looks of Vanlife Geeks's setup, he's got a tarp under the tent, which I think I'd also do in the future.